


It's just a pool party, Janis - the new and improved version

by Whyyyyy



Series: cadnis canon fics [8]
Category: Mean Girls - Richmond/Benjamin/Fey
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:41:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28154046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whyyyyy/pseuds/Whyyyyy
Summary: ok so one of the first fics i wrote on here was called "it's just a pool party, janis" and it was basically just exactly what it sounds like. but yesterday i had this idea for like a different version of the same prompt, so here is the new and improved version of that first fic now that i'm older and wiser (jk i've actually gotten dumber since then but whatever)
Relationships: Cady Heron/Janis Sarkisian
Series: cadnis canon fics [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2149737
Kudos: 35





	1. Chapter 1

"Sarkisian." 

Janis turned from her locker to see Regina standing a few feet away, arms folded. "Hey." Janis eyed her suspiciously. Since Spring Fling, she and Regina had found some sort of peace, but they still hadn't actually had a real conversation yet. "Can I help you?" Janis asked, closing her locker.

"Um. I wanted to talk to you."

Janis gestured for her to continue. 

"So. I want to apologize for what I did to you in eighth grade. It was shitty of me, and you didn't deserve it. And I know that you know that I'm just as gay as you are, and honestly the fact that you haven't, like, punched me in the face or screamed insults at me since I came out is kind of scaring me because I'm worried you have some, like, big master plan to destroy me or something." Janis leaned against her locker, smirking. Regina raised an eyebrow, nodding in understanding. "And now I'm seeing that that was your plan all along, which- okay, brilliant. Anyway, um. Yeah. I'm sorry."

Janis gazed at her for a long moment. Then she sighed. "Yeah. Okay."

Regina blinked. "Okay?"

"I mean, yeah. I don't know that I forgive you, exactly, but I accept your apology."

Regina smiled. "Okay. Okay. That's... very generous of you."

Janis shrugged. "I'm a generous person."

"Okay, well that's not true, but whatever. Um, also I... it's my birthday this weekend, and I'm throwing a pool party."

Janis raised her eyebrows. "Okay..."

"I just. Part of my apology is that I wanted to personally invite you to come."

Janis's eyes widened. "Oh." She frowned. "But there will be girls there in their bathing suits."

Regina pinched the bridge of her nose. "I know. I get it. And you don't have to come if you don't want to. I just wanted to let you know that you're welcome. Also that if anyone gives you shit I will personally destroy them."

Janis snorted. "Yeah. Okay. I'll think about it."

Regina nodded. "Okay." She started to turn away, but thought better of it. "Oh, also, if it gives you any incentive, Cady's going to be there." She shot Janis a grin, then turned on her heel and walked away.

Janis frowned. "The hell is that supposed to mean?" She called after Regina. 

"You know damn well what it means!"

"I really don't!" Janis shouted, but Regina was already rounding the corner of the hall.

"What was that about?" Janis jumped and turned to face Damian.

"She apologized to me. And invited me to her pool party this weekend."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "Wow."

"I know. And then she told me Cady was going to be there and walked away."

Damian smirked.

"What?" Janis glared at him.

"Nothing, it's just - you can say a lot of things about Regina George, but that woman does not miss a thing."

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing."

"Damian Hubbard I swear to God-" Janis lunged at him, but an arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back. 

"Jan, I don't know what's happening here, but you can't kill Damian," Cady admonished. "Who else will direct the spring musical?"

"I don't know, maybe the actual director?" Janis asked.

Cady laughed and squeezed her waist. "Okay, good point, but homicide is still generally frowned upon."

"But whyyy?" Janis whined, trying not to think about how close Cady was standing or the way her arm felt around her.

Cady shrugged. "I don't know. Basic human decency, et cetera..."

"Sounds boring."

"Yeah, well."

Damian was grinning at them. "This, Janis. This is what I meant."

Cady raised a questioning eyebrow, and Janis opened her mouth to spew some weak excuse, but she was interrupted by the bell. Saved by the bell - literally.

"See you guys later!" Janis squeaked, hurrying off toward her classroom.

"Is she okay?" Cady asked Damian, frowning at Janis's disappearing back.

Damian sighed. "There's really no way of knowing."

* * *

"You should go."

"I don't know, Damian." Janis flopped down onto her bed, phone to her ear. "There's just so many implications."

"Like what?"

Janis rolled over and stared up at the ceiling. "I don't know. I made that big speech about not caring what anyone thinks, didn't I? It would sort of undermine my argument if I showed up to Regina's party just because she said I could. It's like, oh, look, the queen gave the dyke permission to come to her party."

Damian's voice was soft. "Is that really how you think of it?"

"I mean, kinda? I don't know, not really, I just think that's what everyone else is going to think."

"Well, if you're so worried about that, doesn't that undermine your argument more?"

"Yeah, true." Janis sighed. "There's also the Cady thing. She said that to convince me to come. It's like, bait or something."

Damian snorted. "Kind of brilliant on her part."

"Shut up."

"You really do like her, don't you?"

"Who?"

"You know who."

"I'm not having this conversation with you."

Damian sighed. "Fine. But I still think you should go."

"I don't know..."

"Janis. Do you want to go?"

Janis closed her eyes. "Yes. I hate to admit it, but I do."

"Okay. So go. Don't worry about what it's gonna look like. If you want to go, you should go."

Janis considered this. "Yeah. Okay. I'll go."

* * *

Janis knocked tentatively on the front door of the George's house. It had been almost four years since she'd been there, but the house still just looked as tall and formidable as it always had.

The door swung open to reveal Mrs. George. "Omigod!" She squealed. "Janis Sarkisian! It's been too long!" 

"Yeah," Janis muttered. Clearly this woman had no idea how terrible her daughter had been. Janis wasn't going to be the one to tell her, though. 

"Come in, come in." Mrs. George waved her inside. Janis gazed around at the large hallway, which was covered in pictures of Regina. Janis was startled to see that some of them even included her. Mrs. George caught her looking and laughed. "Oh, I've always loved taking pictures. It's just so fun to document, you know?" She pointed to one of two blond girls grinning at the camera, arms around each other. "This was you and Regina after you guys dyed your hair!" Janis squinted at the picture and sure enough, that was her on the left. She absently twirled a lock of her two-toned hair between her thumb and forefinger. The dye was still growing out, four years later.

"Oh my God, _Mom_ ," said a voice from the back doorway. Regina was standing by the sliding glass door, looking horrified. "Leave Janis alone."

Mrs. George laughed. "Oh, don't be silly, we were just chatting."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Janis, please don't indulge her. She already has boundary issues." 

Janis bit her lip, trying not to laugh. Regina beckoned her outside, and Janis followed her out to the pool deck. "I can't believe you actually came," Regina commented, closing the sliding door behind them.

"Yeah, well, neither can I, really," Janis admitted. "Damian talked me into it, so you have him to thank."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Janis!" Cady waved from the other side of the yard. Janis waved back, smiling.

Regina watched the exchange gleefully. "I fucking knew it."

Janis frowned at her. "Knew what?"

"You and Cady."

"We're not together," Janis insisted.

"But you wish you were."

Janis glanced at Cady again. "Well... yeah."

"So what's the problem?"

Janis gave her an odd look. "She's straight."

Regina laughed. "Janis. No. I may be a bitch, but my gaydar is never wrong and that girl? Is not straight."

"You can't know that for sure."

Regina blew out a breath. "Okay. Look. I know what happened between you guys. I was there, the night of the party. I saw it on Instagram and I came so that I could scream in Cady's face, but when I got there you were already doing that. And... I heard what she said to you. I saw the look on her face when she said it. That is the look of someone who is in love with her best friend and is scared to admit it. And I should know."

"What does that mean?"

Regina shrugged. "Just that I've felt like that. Twice."

"You mean... me?"

Regina nodded. "Yeah. Try not to be too mad about it."

Janis shook her head. "No, actually, it makes me a little less mad. Now it kind of makes more sense."

"Yeah, I guess it does."

"So Gretchen or Karen?" Janis asked, bumping her shoulder lightly.

"Huh?"

"You said twice. If the first one was me, then that means you're in love with one of your best friends now. Gretchen or Karen?"

Regina folded her arms. "How about this? I'll tell you if you go ask Cady out."

"Right now?" Janis squeaked. Regina nodded.

"Right now."

Janis bit her lip. "Fine. But you have to tell me first."

Regina rolled her eyes. "Fine."

Janis waited. 

"It's Gretchen." Regina murmured softly, glancing across the yard to where Gretchen was standing, talking to Cady.

"Hm. Interesting." Janis followed Regina's gaze.

“Yeah. Well. It’s never going to happen, I’ve been way too mean to her, but.” She nodded at Cady. “You guys actually have a shot.”

“I’m still scared, though,” Janis murmured. 

“Too bad. You promised.”

Janis glared at her. She shrugged. “Don’t mess up,” she said lightly, giving Janis a push in Cady’s direction.

Janis groaned and forced herself to walk over to Cady.

“Hey, Caddy, can I talk to you for a sec?”

Cady nodded and let Janis pull her away from Gretchen. “You and Regina seem to be getting along,” Cady commented.

“Yeah, kind of. It’s a start, at least.”

“You know she was like, terrified that you wouldn’t show up, right? She was freaking out to me about it before you got here.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, I think she really wants to make it up to you and this was the only way she knew how.” Cady shrugged. “But you came.”

“I did.”

They were quiet for a moment before Cady broke the silence. “So what did you want to ask me?”

“Oh. Um.” Janis glanced furtively over at Regina, who mouthed, _just fucking do it_. Janis frowned at her, but forced herself to keep going. “It’s just. Um. Do you remember when you accused me of being in love with you?”

Cady winced. “Yes, unfortunately.”

“Well, you weren’t, technically... wrong.” Janis averted her gaze. “I am. In love with you.”

Cady frowned at her. “Why are you saying that like it’s a bad thing?”

Janis glanced at her, surprised. “Is it a bad thing?”

“No.” Cady grinned. “It’s a very good thing, actually.” She stood on tiptoe and pressed a kiss to Janis’s lips. Janis put a hand on Cady’s back and leaned into the kiss.

“What’d I tell you, Sarkisian?”

Janis and Cady broke apart, turning to see Regina smirking at them.

“I better be invited to the wedding.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> so on my original version of this fic someone commented that i should write a one-shot of a cadnis wedding with regina being all smug and i loooved that idea so i added it as a second chapter on the original version, but i figured i'd put it here too for good measure. it's pretty short but i thought it was cute ;-)

Regina stood on a chair, tapping a fork against the side of her champagne glass. "I have something to say," she announced.

From the table, Janis smirked up at her, an arm draped over the back of Cady's chair. "Is this a toast, Reggie?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Ha. No. It's me gloating." Turning to face the crowd, she smiled. "Seven years ago, I threw a pool party. And I happened to notice a certain girl seemed to be in love with another certain girl." She paused. "I don't want to name names, but it was Janis and Cady." That got a laugh from the crowd of guests. The two brides grinned at each other. "Anywayyy, basically I made Janis go ask Cady out, and then when I caught them making out behind the pool shed twenty minutes later, I told them I'd better be invited to the wedding." She spread out a hand. "And here we are. So. Congrats, you guys, I'm super happy for you, and yes I will now accept your gratitude for getting you useless lesbians together."

"I'm bi!" Cady called to her, but she was laughing. Regina stepped off her chair and walked over to them. 

"That was literally the worst toast ever," Janis said as she gave Regina a hug. 

"I told you, it wasn't a toast. I needed to gloat about this and I needed to do it publicly."

"Whatever you say, Regina," Cady singsonged from beside Janis. "I think it was sweet."

Janis snorted. "No it wasn't. She basically called herself the God of matchmaking or something."

"I'm the God of everything, Sarkisian," Regina corrected. 

Cady smiled. "Well, it was sweet in a very Regina George way."

"What does that even mean?" Janis asked, turning to her wife.

Cady shrugged. "That she tries to act all tough but really she's super soft." She grinned. "Just like you!!"

"You guys do realize I'm still standing right here, right?" Regina raised an eyebrow. 

"Yes, of course," Cady lied.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm gonna go find Gretch. Have fun!"

"You too!" Janis called after her, then turned back to Cady. "I am not soft, by the way."

"You cried during our vows."

"Everyone cries during wedding vows! That's literally the point!"

Cady pretended to pout. "Don't argue with me on our wedding day!"

Janis kissed her nose. "Okay, okay, sorry."

Cady gasped and lifted her head from Janis's shoulder. "Jan! Look! It's finally happening!"

Janis followed Cady's gaze to see Gretchen and Regina standing in a corner, arms around each other. "Oh my God," Janis chuckled. "Fucking finally."

"I'm happy for them," Cady murmured. "Regina's wanted this forever."

"I know. She told me so on the same day that we got together."

Cady snuggled closer to her wife. "Yay lesbians."

"Isn't Gretchen pan?"

"Yay sapphics," Cady amended. Janis laughed, hugging her closer.

Cady smiled, leaning her head on Janis's shoulder. "I love you."

Janis kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, dork."

And in that moment, Janis really did feel very grateful for Regina George.


End file.
